This is a weekend retreat where science and nature will strive to be in balance! Some time will be spent on fascinating, basic introductory scientific information to keep the left brain happy, but emphasis will mostly be on exploring practical right brain and whole brain ways and fun activities to enhance and encourage the neuroplasticity (malleability) of your brain. From there, it’s a short skip and a jump to positively influencing the health of all your cells and especially your heart, to encourage self-love from your own heart to your own body, then extending via the heart’s electromagnetic energy field to the world around you. We can influence the messages we send to our cells, through our informational substances (a.k.a. ‘molecules of emotions’ as described by Candace Pert), that is the epigenetic binding through on our cell membranes that affects every single function inside each of the 50 trillion cells within our bodies. We’ll explore many ways of enhancing our inner physical, emotional and spiritual world for a happier, healthier, wholesome.Heart, Brain and BodyBefore the heart pumps oxygen and nutrient rich blood to every single cell of the body, it pumps it to itself first. This is an example of self-love and not a selfish act at all. The heart is also more than a pump with an energy field extending into the field of infinite possibility.More and more research studies show the link between the heart, the emotions, stress and the fact that the heart also functions as brain. We’ll be exploring this in depth during the Retreat, learning how to activate the mind-brain-heart connection in practical ways through meta- and epigenetic restructuringto enhance the natural malleability (called neuroplasticity) of the brain and body, sending better feeling thoughts as messages right into the DNA of our cells, to enhance love and healing for ourselves and our world. Click for more information on ‘molecules of emotion’ or informational substances.More about the facilitator: Dr Arien van der Merwe MBChB (Pretoria) NHA (SA) RSPH (London) MISMA (UK branch)Dr Arien van der Merwe is a medical doctor, specialising in workplace wellness, mind-body and integrative, natural medicine, stress management and longevity. Arien is an internationally renowned holistic health expert, health coach and bestselling author, a well-known and experienced public speaker, facilitator and trainer, internationally published author of 22 books and training manuals on health and wellness, and medical specialist in workplace health and wellbeing since 1998. Her latest book is ‘Managing Diabetes and Related Health Challenges’, published by Human & Rousseau and available at bookshops and from her online health shop.Dr Arien recently developed the Timeless DNA™ Youthful Living Program with courses and online programs to entertain, enlighten and educate people on how to become a healthy, happy 120 years of age (our natural lifespan!) embodying the concept of beauty within, beauty without and beauty of being.She is registered by the Natural Healers Association (NHA) as Trainer and Ethno-Medicine Practitioner in the field of Traditional Health Care, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (FRSPH – London) and Member of the International Stress Management Association (MISMA), UK branch.Arien has recently developed and registered her own online course ‘Optimal Health & Wellbeing in 12 Weeks’, 2 online courses for Educate24: ‘Practical Stress Management’ and ‘Your Health and Wellness’, an online accredited CPD Course for medical and other health practitioners: ‘Practical Stress Management’ (30 CPD points), as well as another 2 Continued Professional Development (CPD) contact courses for registered medical practitioners: ‘An Integrative Approach to Managing Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome’; and ‘An Integrative Holistic Approach to Medicine’.Dr Arien writes for, and consults regularly, for many real time and online magazines and newspapers in South Africa, and appears in countless national radio and TV shows (e.g. Real Health and kykNET) as guest. She is now busy with the fourth series for Real Health and recently appeared in ‘Met ‘n Huppel in Jou Stap’ for kykNET. Arien is the Director of Health Stress Management Gauteng (Pty) (Ltd) and Co-owner (with Anri van der Merwe) of Ariani Health Solutions, based in Faerie Glen, Pretoria and online (www.DrArien.co.za).In her own words:My life purpose: to write, teach and support you while I’m forever learning, growing & applying what I learn, to myself! My motto: ‘We teach best what we most need to learn!’ – Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingstone Seagull)We often forget that our natural state as human beings, is to be healthy! However, we need some basic knowledge, and have to learn how to support our minds and bodies to be optimally well, to change unhealthy and maintain healthy, behaviour. This is precisely what my talks, workshops, courses and retreat are about! I believe in an integrative, holistic approach to manage health, and therefore develop and implement comprehensive and integrated sustainable health and wellness solutions. I am passionate about helping others find their way to wellness through learning and understanding about health matters for mind, heart, body and soul, then implementing what has been learnt into an integrative wellness lifestyle.For more information, please visit: www.DrArien.co.za